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If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

rachelbythebay.com

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Re: If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

#2
I've been to companies that outright lie about their development environments. I only enjoy using GNU/Linux so one of my first questions is whether I can use Linux and if I would be forced to use Windows for certain things. One company told me yes for the first one, but when I got there I found Linux was completely unsupported by the draconian IT department. Many companies simply don't know the answer to the second but it usually turns out they use Exchange or email some important document in a doc file that only Word will display properly. These details are often forgotten, especially by some people who don't seem to mind following stupid corporate protocols.

Re: If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

#4

I've been to companies that outright lie about their development environments. I only enjoy using GNU/Linux so one of my first questions is whether I can use Linux and if I would be forced to use Windows for certain things. One company told me yes for the first one, but when I got there I found Linux was completely unsupported by the draconian IT department. Many companies simply don't know the answer to the second b…

Standardizing a set of supported tools inside an organisation isn’t exactly a stupid corporate protocol, especially if it’s a very large organisation.

Re: If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

#6

I've been to companies that outright lie about their development environments. I only enjoy using GNU/Linux so one of my first questions is whether I can use Linux and if I would be forced to use Windows for certain things. One company told me yes for the first one, but when I got there I found Linux was completely unsupported by the draconian IT department. Many companies simply don't know the answer to the second b…

Standardizing a set of supported tools inside an organisation isn’t exactly a stupid corporate protocol, especially if it’s a very large organisation.

A hammer is not always the best tool.

Edit: what did you mean by "a set" of standardized toosl? Like the set {Windows 10, Linux of some distribution, macOS 10.15, iOS, Android}?

Even then, what if some app does not work on Windows 10? Or what if you need a 32 bit app running on macOS?

Re: If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

#8
The moment after I signed the contract to join a startup, the CTO said "OK, then... Here's your laptop, install Windows and we'll talk later..".

My heart sank and felt I took a bad turn in life. I really wanted to work there but I had stopped using Windows for health reasons a long time ago. I wondered if it were rude to resign the same day because there was no way I would use Windows. I thought it was more honest, but at the same time I thought I may be too radical. Maybe I could be spared and still work there. My brain went into overdrive. The CTO then said "Uh, I mean Linux.", he noticed my face and continued "Don't panic, there are no Windows machines here". The whole thing lasted a few seconds.. I heaved a sigh of relief.

We try to be brutally honest with applicants, not only with the hardware but on the specifics of the job. It disappoints many who imagine they'll be doing "data science/AI" with screens that blink and computers that beep.

Re: If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

#9
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Standardizing a set of supported tools inside an organisation isn’t exactly a stupid corporate protocol, especially if it’s a very large organisation.

A hammer is not always the best tool. Edit: what did you mean by "a set" of standardized toosl? Like the set {Windows 10, Linux of some distribution, macOS 10.15, iOS, Android}? Even then, what if some app does not work on Windows 10? Or what if you need a 32 bit app running on macOS?

But if your 10,000 employees each need a hammer, getting them all the same one, from the same vendor, with the same support contract might just make sense.

Edit to your edit: whatever particular sets of tools the business needs. Whether it’s laptops, thin clients, operating systems, IDEs, ticketing systems...

> Even then, what if some app does not work on Windows 10?

If your business had standardized on Windows 10, then you’d hope checking whether things worked on Windows 10 would be part of their procurement process.

> Or what if you need a 32 bit app running on macOS?

You choose something else. Like any business running MacOS would have to do.

Re: If you're hiring, be forthcoming about the dev experience

#10

I've been to companies that outright lie about their development environments. I only enjoy using GNU/Linux so one of my first questions is whether I can use Linux and if I would be forced to use Windows for certain things. One company told me yes for the first one, but when I got there I found Linux was completely unsupported by the draconian IT department. Many companies simply don't know the answer to the second b…

> One company told me yes for the first one, but when I got there I found Linux was completely unsupported by the draconian IT department

Happened with me as well (but I use a macbook). I won’t call it draconian. The IT department usually has to deal with a large number of hardware/software support requests on a daily basis. It’s quite understandable that they won’t have all the answers for a platform they’ve never used/supported before.

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